2015 iHigh Summer Program Information

Information related to our summer program is tentative at this time.

Updated 3-28-15

Please note: This is the final summer that the Operation Student Virtual Learning grant will be available to fund the iHigh online Summer Program. There is less funding this summer than in past summers, as we close out the grant. The grant's target audience is San Diego Unified's military students. Course offerings and number of teachers available will be closely aligned with the number of military student enrollment requests. Non-military students who are currently enrolled in district high schools (or incoming 9th grade) will have second priority, based on space available. Charter school and private school students who reside within SDUSD boundaries will have third priority, based on space available. Students who reside outside of district boundaries and do not have an interdistrict transfer for enrollment in an SDUSD school in September are not eligible to enroll in the iHigh Summer Program.

The iHigh Summer Program is funded by the Operation Student Virtual Learning grant, which is generously supported by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). Our focus is to provide summer core and make-up courses for military students. Non-military students are welcome to apply and are accepted until we reach capacity.

Our main summer campus is expected to be at Serra High School in Tierrasanta, from June 22 to July 31. If funding allows, then we will open a satellite classroom at our Old Town campus for tutoring and proctored exams, starting June 23. Please watch this web site to confirm the availability of the iHigh/Old Town option. All teachers will be at Serra High to lead orientations on June 22.

The Board is scheduled to make a decision regarding online course approvals on 4/14. We are hoping to offer first-time and make-up core courses in English, math, social science and Spanish/French for incoming students in grades 9-12 and August graduates. We hope to post our online summer application and proposed course list by April 8.

We will not be able to offer science courses, AP courses, Honors courses or Advanced courses. Spanish and French will depend on teacher availability.

Application period:The application window is expected to be April 8 to May 29. We have a small staff to process an estimated 700 applications. Active duty military and DoD students are guaranteed enrollment for available courses. The earlier non-military students apply, the greater their priority for enrollment. Applications submitted after May 29 will only be considered if space is available. Crunch time for the iHigh staff to process applications is June 1-21.

Enrollment confirmation: Active duty military and DoD students are assured of summer enrollment for available courses. Confirmations for non-military students will be emailed, first-come first-served, until we reach capacity. To avoid frustrations, please be sure to provide a legible e-mail address and to check your spam/junk mail in case the confirmation e-mail is re-directed. We will start sending email confirmations after the district has confirmed our summer staffing.

Orientation: Students who have never completed an online class (as determined by their transcript) will be required to attend a two-hour orientation at Serra High School on June 22. This orientation is essential to helping students learn to navigate the online portals. The confirmation e-mail will indicate assignment to either the 7:30 AM-9:30 AM session or 9:45 AM to 11:45 AM session at Serra High.

Transcript grades and drops: All iHigh summer courses earn transcript grades. Students who begin an online course and then decide to drop must notify the iHigh summer office by Friday, June 26. After the drop deadline, students will receive a transcript grade for the class. This means that students who simply stop working part-way through the summer will likely receive an "F" grade on their transcript.

On-site Teachers:iHigh teachers will be available on the Serra campus from 7:30 AM to 11:45 AM during summer session, to provide academic assistance and to administer proctored exams. If funding allows, we will oen a classroom at the iHigh/Old Town campus.

Proctored exams:All core courses require a proctored midterm (by July 10) and a proctored final (by July 29-30, depending on the class). This is a UC requirement. Students must be able to come to campus for proctored exams during the 7:30 AM to 11:45 AM summer school day. Students should arrive early enough to complete exams by 11:45 AM, as teachers go off duty at that time. The pacing guide for each class shows suggested exam dates. Please note that teachers must have sufficient time to grade all coursework and to enter final grades by 12 noon on July 31.

Planning coursework: Most students are able to successfully complete a one-semester online course during the short 6-week summer session. In the past, students have completed the second semester online at their regular high school during fall semester. It is not yet confirmed whether this option will still be available in the fall.

It is extremely challenging to complete a full-year course (both semesters) in only 6 weeks. Students who have been able to accomplish this goal have found it to be a fulltime job...at least 6 hours of coursework per day for 29 days. For this reason, we do not recommend this option. Please keep in mind that students may only enroll in one course at a time, so Semester 1 would need to completed by July 10 in order to allow time to complete Semester 2.

Summer Travel: We do not recommend our summer program for students who will be on extended travel during the summer session. Experience has shown that students often stop doing coursework once they go on travel, which results in falling behind, running out of time, and earning a low transcript grade. Students are able to work ahead in their courses, to help accommodate summer travel plans. Please keep in mind that students must report to campus for a proctored midterm and final exam.

Summer Closing:Summer session closes at 11:45 AM on July 31. Teachers must enter all final grades by 12 noon, and then they go off duty for the rest of the summer. The district closes the summer student information system on July 31, to start processing summer report cards and to start preparing for fall semester. Summer transcript grades should be posted by mid-August.

Special Circumstances: Student should stay in contact with their summer teachers and notify them of any questions, problems or special circumstances that arise. Active communications will help prevent future frustrations.